Our turbulent weather makes the UK one of the best places in the world to generate electricity from the wind. In the right conditions, the UK can produce as much as 24% of our required energy from wind power alone.
The UK currently has approximately 11,000 onshore and offshore wind turbines, producing 24GW in 2019. The new government energy strategy sets out plans to increase the target from 40GW to 50GW by 2030.
To do this, the government are proposing to decrease the approval times for offshore wind farms from 4 years to 1 year to rapidly increase the number that can be built. In addition, it is opening up a consultation on developing partnerships with communities who wish to host new onshore wind farms in return for lower energy bills.
If this target is achieved, it would be more than enough energy to power every home in the UK.
To learn more about wind energy and how it's produced, check out our video: